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FIRST EUROPEAN SCOUT SYMPOSIUM ON CHILD PROTECTION

21st November 1999

Representatives of eleven Scout Associations arrived in the UK today (19/11/99) for the first International Scout Symposium on Child Protection. The event is hosted by the United Kingdom Scout Association, one of the first in the world to appoint a national Child Protection Co-ordinator to implement a nation-wide Child Protection Policy.

Based at the Gilwell Park International Scout Training Centre, Chingford, London E4, 24 delegates will spend a week exchanging information, ideas, resources and experiences on procedures and Codes of Practice to safeguard young people's welfare as well as the support, training and supervision of adults working with children in a voluntary organisation.

"Raising awareness of child protection issues has become a major objective for all responsible youth organisations and Scouting in the UK has worked in partnership with all the leading agencies, experts and statutory bodies to ensure that its practices and procedures are effective", said Mrs Margaret Poland, appointed as the first full time National Child Protection Co-ordinator for The Scout Association in 1997.

"By hosting this event, organised by through the European Region of the World Scout Organisation, we aim to encourage greater awareness among organisations responsible for hundreds of thousands of young people in Europe and beyond." (end)

Note to Editors:

Participants include representatives from:- Albania, Ireland, Georgia, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Poland and United Kingdom.

For further information contact: Public Relations (public.relations@scout.org.uk)